Package crimping machine



March 1950 L. 1.. SALFISBERG 2,500,874

PACKAGE CRIHPING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Arron/v5 Y l... 1.. SALFISBERGI 2,500,874

PACKAGE CRIMPING MACHINE March 14, 1950 Filed April 23, 1945 a Sheets-Sheet 2 I l v I, l I

I w I I I I I g /I Q .N x N R 2:}

Patented Mar. 14 1950.

UNITED STATES FA E if OFFICE 2.500.814 momma Gamma momma Leroy L. Saliisberg, South Orange, N. 1.. assignor to Seal-Craft, Incorpo rated, Newark, N. 1., a

corporation of New Jersey Application April 2:, 1945, Serial No. 589,721

6 Claims. (Cl. 154-42);

v 2 taneouslv. with crimping thereof. It is to be understoodthat .the crimping faces of thecrimping Jaws may be provided with suitable proiections'gsuch as serrations orcorrugations ormaynbe smooth or substantially smooth for pressure and/or heat sealing. It is further to be understood that suitable shearing knivesor present invention are already known, one such machine being described in U. 8. Patent No. 2,140,117, granted December 13, 1938. Such a machine has been found to be satisfactory in the main but capable of simplification and improvement particularly in connection with the crimping jaw operating and timing mechanism employed for controlling the duration and speed of the crimping and/or sealing operations.

Objects of the present invention are, accordingly, to simplify an improve upon existing crimping mechanism for controlling the duration and rapidity of the crimping and/or sealing operations and such other and further objects and advantages aswill be apparent or pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 isa plan view of the essentials of a package crimping machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the machine taken along line 2--2 of Figure 1 showing the crimping jaws in closed .operative position; and

FiguresisaviewsimilartoFigui-ezbut showing the crimping Jaws in open inactive posi- 4 tion.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the various views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings. the numeral I 0 indicates the upper movable crimping jaw of the package crimping machine of the present invention and the numeral ll indicates the lower stationary crimping jaw thereof. Each crimping jaw is secured by one or more screws I: to an adjacent. extending part of the ma-' chine, as shown. A heat resistant member II having low heat conductivity is provided between each law and the adiacent'extension or framework. Members I: may be composed of asbestos or any other suitable amphibolic material. The Jaws It and Ii are provided in the usual manner with bores it for the reception for heatin elements (not shown) which are electrically heated to the desired temperature in order to raise the temperature of the crimpi siawsinthoseinstancesinwhichitisdesired to heat-seal the packagematerial simulthe like (not shown) may be provided for package material severing or'cutting purposes when the crimping jaws approach each other. These and other details will be appreciated by a reference to Patent'No.'2,140,117 referred to above, the. pertinent parts of which are hereby made a part hereof.

The extending machine part to which upper crimping Jaw It is secured is a portion of a U- shaped (in plan) lever I5, the parallel arms of which terminate in "eyes It disposed on shaft l1 which is mounted in bearings It on the ma-. chine framework. Between the arms of the lever 15 are theparallel arms of an intermediate long lever IS. the forward ends of which merge into and form a cross-head 20. Strong coil springs 2| extend between head 20 and sockets provided in the extending machine part to which the upper crimping jaw is secured. The intermediate lever armsare f-ulcrumed on shaft l1 and extend rearwardly thereof, terminating in ends of reduced size through which project the operating pins 22, as shown in Figure 1. Between shaft l1 and pins 22 is a pin 23 extending between the intermediate lever arms and on which is rotatably mounted a follower roller 24 which is adapted to follow the profile of cam 25 'eccentrically fixed on power shaft 26 iournaled in the machine framework and suit-' ably rotated by any available prime mover or source of powerfnot shown). A pin 21 is fixed in lever l5 and extends between the spaced parallel arms thereof forwardly of shaft l1. Openings 2!. are provided in the spaced parallel arms of intermediate lever I! of greater diameter than the diameter of pin 21, thus permitting a certain amount of relative movement between levers I 5 and 19, which movement is limited by the abutment of pin 21 against the bottomof o 'nings 28 as in the position of the parts ill ted in Figure 3. The under portion oflever 5 and the upper portion of the base B of the machine are socketed as indicated at 29 for the reception of one or more coil springs 30.

The rearward portion of the crimping machine is provided with a. hydraulic timing and controlmechanism. Forthispurposethebasc shown inFigures 2 and 3 as lever is is rocked about shaft ll underthe influence of cam 25 and coil spring 2. Piston 34 extends through chambers 3| and 32 and projects up beyond the top of the base 3' through an opening 35 in which it fits snugly in liquid-tight fashion. Near its upper end the piston is provided with an annular groove 36 into which pins- 22 project, thus causing piston 34 to rise by upward pressure of such pins against the annular shoulder 31 as cam 25 passes from theposition illustrated in Figure 3 to that of Figure 2. Coilsprings 30 cause gradual return of the parts to the con- .tion shown in Figure 3 ready for another cycle "6f operations.

Piston 34 has 'a passageway 38 therethrough,

ayne upper portion of which is interiorly threaded for coaction with the 'exteriorly threaded upper portion of needlevalve" 33 the positionof which in passageway 33"can' be*adjusted bymeans of the knurled enlargement 40 came upper end thereof. Horizontal passageway 4| extends from passageway 38; with which it communicates, to the exterior of the piston andcommunicates with chamber 3| or 32 dependingupon the position of the piston as will be appreciated from Figures 2 and 3. Piston 34 is also provided with a vent made up of horizontal passage 42 and vertical passage 43 of small bore to provide communications between chambers 3| and 32 to break the vacuum in chamber 32 caused by the rise of the piston from its lowermost position to its uppermost position, thus preventing interference with the effective functioning of the piston.

The operation of the machine will be understood and appreciated from the foregoing. As shaft 25 is rotated the cam 25 forces roller 24 upwardly during each rotation. This rocks lever l9 about fulcrum to lower the forward portion of lever i9 and throughsprings 2| swing lever 5 downwardly until jaw ill strikes jaw II- or packaging material interposed between the jaws, against the influence of coil springs 30. As the Y rearward portion of lever l9 rises, the pins 22 act freely into chamber 32 via passage 33 and passages Bi and 33. The free liquid flow permits a rapid closing action of jaws l3 and Ii. As the only slowly through the needle valve passage into the upper chamber 3|. Alter the lower end of the piston moves below opening 3": a relatively free fiow of liquid is again possible through passage 33 and hence the remainder of the jaw opening operation is rapid. The precise position of valve 33 in piston passageway 38 controls the period" of the piston and thus constitutes a timing device for regulating the duration of the a period of crimping or sealing contact of the jaws I with the packaging material.

' to raise piston 34. The liquid in chamber 3| flows It will be understood by those skilled in the art that any suitable control mechanism may be utilized for starting and stopping the cam.

The foregoing is presented as illustrative and not as limitative and it is to be understood that various additions, omissions, substitutions and modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, a base memberihaving therein upper and lower spaced liquid-containing chambers connected by a communicating passageway, a piston for con nection to mechanism to be controlled and re ciprocable in said passageway and extending into both said chambers, a longitudinal bore in said piston and a lateral port leading outwardly from said bore, said piston closing said passageway when the piston is in its upper position and there being a second passage to establish free communication between said chambers as the piston reaches a certain point in its downward move-'- ment, and a needle valve for controlling flow of liquid through said bore and said port, whereby said piston may freely move in one direction but is 'retarded for a predetermined time in its movement in the opposite direction.

2. The machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said second passage maintains communication between said chambers during the major portion of the upward movement of said piston to permit rapid flow of liquid from the upper to the lower chamber and consequent quick movement of said piston.

3. The machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said second passage is formed between said piston and the wall of said passageway by a groove'in the outer surface of said piston.

4. The machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said second passage maintains communication between saidchambers during the major portion of the upward movement of said piston to permit rapid flow of liquid from the upper to the cam 25 reaches its highest position the jaws are completely closed and the lower end of the piston closes the opening 3|b. The vent 42, breaks the partial vacuum created in the chamber 32 during ascent of the piston. by allowing liquid to flow from chamber 3| to chamber 32.

The movement of the lever 3 in said direction after the initial closing of the Jaws compresses springs 2| and moves the piston 34 through that portion of its stroke during return movement through which the piston resists or retards opening of the jaws as hereinafter described. when lever |9 is released by the cam as the latter moves toward its lower position, the coil springs urge the forward ends-of the lever arms upwardly to open the clamping jaws and piston 34 starts its downward or return movement. Release of the crimping jaws is, however, at first retarded because the liquid in lower chamber 32 can flow lower chamber and consequent quick movement of said piston, and with the addition of a small port in said piston to establish communication between said chambers as said piston approaches its upper position to prevent formation of a vacuum in said lower chamber when said piston closes said passageway.

5. A crimping machine comprising a base, a fixed jaw mounted thereon, a first lever pivotally mounted on said base, a movable law mounted on said first lever, a second lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a common axis with the pivot 01 the first lever, a yielding operative connection between said first lever and one end of said second lever such that said second lever may successively move relatively to said first lever and then cause actuation of said first lever in each of opposite directions to close said jaws upon movement in one direction and to open said jaws upon movement in the opposite direction, means for actuating said second lever 5 to close said jaws and to permit opening thereof, upper and lower liquid-containing chambers on said base communicating with each other through a passageway, a piston reciprocable in said passageway and connected to the other end of said second lever for reciprocation into upper and lower positions when said jaws are closed and opened respectively, said piston partially closing said passageway but having a passage which communicates with the upper and lower chambers when said piston is in its upper position and said jaws are closed, a needle valve controlling said passage whereby upon movement of said piston as said second lever moves relatively to said first lever in opening of said jaws said movement of flow of liquid through said passagein the piston from the lower to the upper chamber, there being a second passage to establish communication between said chambers at a predetermined point in said downward movement of the piston to reduce said resistance whereby-said Jaws are held closed for a then quickly open predetermined time and are ed. f

the lever is yieldingly resisted by 6. The crimping machine as defined in claim 5,

wherein said second passage maintains com-- munication between said chambers during the major portion of the upward movement of said piston and closing movement of said jaws to permit rapid flow of liquid from the upper to the lower chamber and consequent quick movement of said piston and closing of said jaws.

LEROY L. SALFISBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

